Sulum Factum Magus

One of the battles that each person must face in this life, in my opinion, is the struggle with the shadow self. In my philosophy, the shadow self has a particular meaning, which is somewhat different from the usual way the term is understood, with reference to Jungian Philosophy. In that corpus, the shadow is regarded as those aspects of the self that are regarded as shameful, frightening, dangerous or otherwise anti-social. It is those aspects of the self which have been repressed and relegated to the unconscious. Unless the Jungian shadow is faced, it is destined to control one through secret impulses and subconscious urges. Well that is cutting a long story short. In my philosophy, I refer to something else as the shadow self. It has got to do with the difference between the true self, and the self we construct for social consumption.

Each of us constructs a persona as we go through childhood and adolescence, based partly on reaction to our parents and significant adults, and partly on our desire to please our parents, our peers, and significant others. Along with this persona, we construct a personal story of who we are, and what we are about in this life. Many simply adopt the story given to them by family and religion. Others work hard to come up with their own story. It is of no consequence, because all such stories are based on the rational self identity. This is the aspect of mind which distinguishes between self and other. And so our personal story of self becomes a way of demarcating ourselves from the rest of humanity.

As we build up this story, we take on the dreams and aspirations of others that we admire, or perhaps those with whom we are competitive – such as brothers, sisters, or close childhood friends. It may be the dreams and goals of a parent, for example, or the desire to do better than an older brother or sister, or the desire to please someone we really like. However it happens, by the time one arrives on the cusp of adulthood, most people have constructed for themselves a set of dreams and goals entwined with their idea of who they are, based on their experiences, and their reactions to the people around them.

The pursuit of these dreams and goals very rarely brings anything but grief and frustration, unless one is able to go beyond the rational self-construct, and discover the dreams and goals of the true self.

I believe that the true self, the spiritual identity that manifests as the human being that you are, always has a goal and purpose, a destiny, if you will. However this purpose and destiny is not something that the rational mind automatically knows and accepts. In fact, it may often be something that the rational self rejects and struggles against. However, I believe that the knowledge of this soul purpose and destiny is the key to fulfilment and happiness in this life.

So where does the shadow self come into things? Well the way I see things, the life that most people live can be viewed as the life of the shadow self – the self constructed from the rational mind and being, based on one’s upbringing and experiences. The shadow self is locked in mortal combat with the true self, and the victor will have the opportunity of pursuing its dreams within the theartre of life. It is a mortal combat because one or the other must prevail. Either the shadow self wins, and one devotes one’s life to fulfilling the shadow’s dreams, or the true self prevails, and one devotes oneself to one’s soul purpose and destiny. When the shadow self wins, the fulfilment of one’s so-called  dreams brings neither fulfilment, nor satisfaction. However when the true self wins the struggle to take precedence, a sense of fulfilment comes merely from the pursuit of one’s soul purpose – even if the achievement may be many years in the future, or may never come to pass. It makes no difference, as there is great fulfilment and satisfaction in just recognising the soul self, and allowing it (you) to pursue its purpose.

The shadow self and the soul self, at some stage of a spiritual life, become locked in a fierce struggle to the death. Neither wants to give in. However, happiness and fulfillment and the greater good is served by the victory of the true self. So do not fear to put the shadow self, with all its false dreams absorbed from others, to death. It is the only way that the true self may follow and realise its destiny. It is, however, an act which few, in the modern world, have the courage or wit to attempt. Those who do so find themselves truly alive – ready and willing to serve – the Ancient Ones, the Greater Organism of Life, and their own soul nature.

You can read more about the shadow self in my book “The Great Work”.

Blessed Be,

Rob

If you have been doing the exercises in this series on wand practice, you will now be ready to begin using your wand for serious magical work. In this note, we will learn how to charge a magical object. We will use as an example a magical charm to help someone stop smoking. The charm may be a herb bag, with a selection of aromatic herbs chosen for their properties in assisting someone stop smoking, or some other small token that the person can carry with them, such as an item of jewellry, or something that can fit safely in the pocket and won’t be lost. Begin by circulating Earth and Sun energy through the wand, as described peviously. When the energy is built sufficiently, move the tip of the wand towards the object, and hold it a small distance away, nearly touching. At this stage the circulation of energy is broken, and the flow is from the orbs of Sun and Earth, via the belly and throat chakras, through the right arm and palm, and through the wand into the object to be charged. As the energy flows, hold in mind the intention, perhaps as a visualised single word e.g. “QUIT”. One can visualise the letters being impresed upon the energy flow at the throat chakra, and being swept down the arm, and through the wand, and into the object to be charged.

As the flow continues, there will come a point when you feel its time to seal the flow of energy, and at this point the words of the spell are stated. These words should be said in a powerful forthright way (though not necessarily loudly), so that the vibration of their saying resonates in the throat, thus imprinting the intention onto the flow of energy. For example:

“With might of Sun, I charge and bless

With power to quit, and start afresh

With might of Earth I charge and fill

The power to quit, with strength and will

And by thy congress, Earth and Sun

And by thy presence Ancient Ones

And by my will, so sealed and done.”

When the words “by thy congress” are uttered, one may visualise the two orbs of energy, red and white at one’s belly, uniting into a single large pink ball, and the two intertwined streams of energy from belly, through throat, arm and wand, also unite into a single powerful stream of pink energy. Balls of this united energy emerge from the belly, stream down the arm and wand into the object, where the intention locks the energy, so that it doesn’t leek away.

Such a spell is a lower octave of the sacred marriage between the God and Goddess, in which the Deities are not personally evoked or invoked. This is not necessary, especially if done within a magic circle into which one’s Deities have been called. It is enough to acknowledge and empower the spell with their presence as with the line “And by they presence Ancient Ones”.

Note also that there are seven lines, divided into four which state the intention and name the energies invoked, and three lines binding the spell by the sacred marriage, one’s Deities, and one’s magickal will. The four relates to building something in the world of phenomenon. The three relates to the creation of something new by the divine union. The seven is a number of magical action, being associated with male Deities, and associated with the unseen dimension of life. Each line has four groups of two syllables. Eight is the number of building in the world of phenomenon, according to the divine plan, and the number of success in acchieving material ambitions. As above so below.

There are 56 (seven lines of eight) syllables in total (where power counts as one syllable, and should be said as one syllable), which reduces numerologically to 11, which is a power number, and a number of the Goddess. Numerologically, the spell represents the union of the God (seven lines) and the Goddess (56=11 syllables) to acchieve an outcome in the world of phenomena in accordance with the divine plan (8 syllables per line).

To further enhance the working of such a spell, it should be done on a full or waxing moon, as the emphasis is on charging the object with helpful energy. One may also choose the time to accord with a suitable house of the zodiac for the moon, such as Aries or Capricorn, to give the impulse and energy required to overcome the old habit. In general, the moon in an Air sign or Fire sign would be suitable for this working, which focuses on providing the impetus for change. Since every sign of the zodiac is overhead once each day, one may choose the time when a desired sign is overhead to further empower the working. These additional energies may be utilised by calling them into your magical circle, and impressing them upon the flow of energy through the wand by use of the attention at the appropriate point in the working.

These additional energies may be further strengthened by naming them in the uttered spell. For example, after the first four lines, one may care to add

“By Lady Moon, by ram and goat

The power to quit be in thy heart”

The spell now has nine lines, corresponding to the Goddess, and also to the vibration of completion, divided into six and three, where the six represents the sacred marriage of the Deities, and the three, as before, the creation of something new. There are now 72 syllables, again corresponding to the number nine, the Goddess and completion.

The addition of the two extra lines does weaken the “7” impetus of the spell, but this is more than compensated by the extra emphasis on completion through the “9”, and the additional energies of the Goat and the Ram, which proviode the same magical impetus.

This illustrates one way in which the wand may be used to project , focus and direct magic energy under a specific intention. This method can be adapted for many workings where the focus is on charging or transmitting magical energy for a specific purpose. It also illustrates how a working can be honed and strengthened by suitable preparation, in which astrological factors (such as the house of the moon) and numerological factors can be used to strengthen and focus the intention.

Blessed Be

Rob

One of the things which really interest me is the stages of life, and in particular, how one may, with ritual and ceremony, recognize the transition from one stage to the next. I was browsing through one of my books on Astrology the other day, (The Compendium of Astrology, by Rose Lineman and Jan Popelka), when I cam across the following way of characterizing the life stages – which I present below, with some of my own flavouring for Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. The first seven years are ruled by the moon, with the development of instinctive and emotional reactions to life. The years from seven to fifteen are ruled by Mercury, and correspond to the ability to think and plan, and the development of rational thought. It is a period of learning, and in particular learning to communicate ideas.

The years from 15 to 24 are ruled by Venus, and correspond to the development of romantic and sexual interest in others, and the development of the capacity to love, and appreciate art and beauty. Thus it is a time of developing relationships with others.

The years from 24 to 34 are governed by the sun, and correspond to self-discovery, creativity and parenthood. It is a time of developing confidence in one’s self and one’s creative abilities.

Mars rules the years from 34 to 45, a time when one generally is focused on carving out a place for oneself in the world career-wise. It is a time of defining and actively pursuing a life direction, and setting and striving for goals and aspirations, particularly associated with the career and achieving personal ambitions

This is followed by the years of Jupiter, from 45 to 57, when efforts and actions of the Mars period are expanded, and all things going well, one begins to achieve the rewards, success and recognition for previous efforts. It is a time when well-honed skills may seem to effortlessly allow one to accomplish undertakings which seem astonishing to others, and in which the magic of success can compound upon itself. However, the Jupiter years may also bring disappointment and bitterness, if in previous life phases, skills and the necessary discipline have not been developed.

Saturn rules the years from 57 to 70. This is a time of responsibility and reckoning. It is the time in which one reaps the return of what one has sown in life, both materially, and spiritually. These rewards may be positive or negative, depending on the actions and attitudes adopted in previous cycles.

This ends the traditional attributions of the visible planets, and the traditional three score and ten allotment of a person’s years on earth. The scheme carries on with the new planets, visible only by telescope. Uranus governs the years from 70 to 84, characterizing these as erratic years of change, where spiritual and creative impulses may come to the fore motivating altruistic endeavours.

Neptune then governs the years from 84 to 99, with the physical body becoming weak and frail, and the mind wandering away from reality. This may be a time of dementia and delusion, or it may be a time when the ability to perceive non-physical reality comes to the forefront, and one is able to perceive both sides of the veil – depending on one’s attention to spiritual development in previous phases of life. There is much to give in this phase of life, but the pity is that our society is not much geared to allow the gifts of this life stage to be given, nor does it encourage people to develop the spiritual foundations which allow the gifts of this stage of life to manifest.

Pluto is said to be associated with the years from 99 until the next incarnation, and is concerned with the de-briefing and preparation that occurs in the spirit world between this life and the next.

This framework suggests itself for adoption into a system of initiations, marking the transitions from each planetary influence. The ages of transition seem reasonable enough. There are many such road-maps that one may use. In the past, I have spent some time working on a seven year cycle, corresponding to the seven traditional planetary energies. In this system, Major transitions are at 7,14,21, then 42, 63, then 70,77,84 then 91. This represents 13 seven year cycles, and nine major transitions.

Whichever road map one uses, the principle is the same. It helps to acknowledge the changing relationship one has to life, dreams and aspirations, the coming generations, and the older generations. It is nice to be acknowledged by one’s community of family and friends. Of course we do this with special birthday parties, but I think that it is nice to go a bit further, especially for pagans who like nothing better than a bit of ritual. Why not invite one’s Deities to the party as well! Done well, it is a force for change in one’s own being and self perception. So, do it for yourself, do it for your kids, do it for your elders. Celebrate the transitions of life, with love, with laughter, with good will, and I am sure that you will bring a richness to your own life and the lives of those around you.

Blessed Be,

Rob

I have been putting up some pretty serious posts of late – all very esoteric stuff, channelling energy, wands, esoteric practices and philosophies etc. I just love it, and I can’t stop writing about it, and practicing it, and living it. However, there comes a point when a little balance is required – so here is my recipe for Broccoli and Semi-dried Tomato Salad.

I always maintain that if one can’t put on a decent dinner party, and have your guests’ mouths watering, then you have no business calling yourself a witch, wizard, mage, sage or hierophant. Well, in fact, I have never met anyone who calls themselves a hierophant, and expects everyone else to have a straight face abut it. But then again, I may be just displaying how badly connected I am!

In my opinion, the kitchen is the place where magic is shown off to best advantage – cooking is a marvellous expression of creative manifestation, where intuition, inspiration, rationality, and practicality all get to play their part. And what better way to get people talking, laughing and loving, than a jolly good mouth-watering meal and a nice bottle of wine (or two!). You can tell I am Cancerian, can’t you?

So here is one of my kitchen creations that I hope will get your mouth watering:

Ingredients

Two large heads of broccoli

four or five cloves of garlic

Handful of semi-dried tomatoes.

Handful of good quality marinated black olives

Three or four table spoons of extra virgin olive oil

Splash of Balsamic vinegar of Moderna.

Just in case you are wondering, Semi-dried Tomatoes are available from good delicatessans, particularly Greek ones (in these parts, anyway), and are dried tomatoes preserved in oil and herbs. They are softer and moister than Sun-dried Tomatoes, which can be a bit chewie if not softened up by soaking in oil or water.

Cut the broccoli into individual florets, each no bigger than the size of your thumb, and trim off any fibrous parts of the stem. Bring a cup of water to the boil in a steamer, and steam the broccoli until dark green and fork can be pressed into the stems (about five minutes). Remove the broccoli from heat, and rinse in cold water to sop any further cooking. Place in salad bowl.

Crush the garlic cloves, remove skin, and dice into small pieces. In a small saucepan, heat the olive oil until hot. Do not allow it to smoke. Sautee the garlic pieces until they begin to brown nicely. When done, pour the garlic including the oil over the broccoli. Add the handful of semi-dried tomatoes, the handful of olives, and a dash of balsamic vinegar. There should be enough tomatoes to give the dish a cheerful red look against the dark broccoli green. And that, my friend, is all there is to it. The broccoli should be firmish, not soft, and must be rinsed under cold water before the dark green stage is passed and it becomes pale and washed out looking.

Wonderful with any Mediterranean dish, to accompany meat dishes, or try with a risotto, as we did tonight! And of course do not forget your invocation to your gustatory Gods, to bless the food so that all who eat may be nourished in mind, body and heart.

Enjoy!

Rob

I have been wondering for some time how the seven planetary energies of traditional esoteric practice match up with the chakra system of the East. The following scheme came to me as being worthy of further investigation, and seems to me to provide a satisfactory guide to workings combining both the chakra system and the planetary energies.

Sun – Crown chakra. The influx of solar energies and connection to the source. It is traditional to represent the solar disk above the head of associated deities.

Moon – Brow (Third eye) chakra. The moon represents the second sight, and the intuitive and psychic abilities, which are also associated with the third eye. I believe it is traditional to depict a moon Goddess with a circlet around her forehead, where a representation of the moon in the location of the third eye.

Mercury – Throat chakra. Mercury represents communication, and Hermetic magic, and balance between the twin energies of Sun and Moon. The throat chakra also influences communication, and manifestation of ideas and thought forms, through shaping and giving form to etheric energy.

Venus – Heart Chakra. Venus represents love, relationships, and aesthetics. The heart chakra governs our ability to give and receive love, and to respond to and appreciate beauty.

Mars – Solar Plexus. Mars is the get up and go, the agrression and assertiveness required to get things done, defend oneself or one’s family, and follow through with actions. The Solar Plexus chakra is associated with one’s personal power. There seems to me a definite relationship with the Mars energy, especially as that energy is refined and expressed through the urge and drive to follow one’s true quest, or true dream.

Jupiter – Belly chakra. Jupiter represents expansiveness, something that often happens in the belly area! Also belly laughs are a very jovial (!) phenomena – Jove, of course, being the Greek version of Jupiter. In some cultures, a large belly is a sign of wealth and respect, qualities of Jupiter. The belly area is associated with the woman’s womb, the organ of procreation, generation, fertility and abundance – qualities associated with Jupiter – though I often wonder if he has filched some of these qualities off the Goddess!

Saturn – Root Chakra. Saturn represents the cold, constricting touch of the underworld. Sexual energy, when dormant at the root chakra, is often regarded as cold. The structure of our life, health and longevity, our personality and so many other things is determined by our DNA, associated with the root chakra.

In Ayurvedic lore, the chakras are associated with the elements: root – earth, belly – water, solar plexus – fire, heart – air, throat – ether. This system is complete in itself, with its own logic and internal consistency. But there are some things which don’t quite gel with the planetary system as outlined above – such as heart being associated with the element of Air. In the East, the heart is viewed as the seat of the spirit, in Chinese medicine, the Shen, the quality of intelligence which activates and underpins the mind. Hence the attribution of Air for the heart chakra makes a lot of sence from such a perspective. In the west, we see the heart as much more the seat of the emotions, and this is how it works for us – for me, at least, the association with Venus makes perfect sense.

How may one work with the planetary energies and with the chakras?

The chakras may be activated and energised by harmonious energies. So to activate a particular chakra, call in the relevant planetary energy, while placing your attention at the chakra point. You will know when the chakra energy activates because you will feel a throbbing, tingling, or a vibration just inside or just at the surface of the body at the location of the chakra.

A way of rebalancing the body and cleansing the aura is to work through the chakras one by one, starting at the crown chakra, calling in the relevant planetary energy, and allowing the chakra to activate. If nothing appears to happen, don’t worry, just move on to the next. One may proceed to some magical or spiritual work, after which reverse the procedure, and thank those energies called in, to close off the chakras again, and solidify the aura, in preparation for dealing with the hurly burly of everyday life.

Blessed be

 Rob